


He Follows In His Wake

by TheLonelyGhost



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Zombie Apocalypse, Zombies, zombie tony
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:58:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12983586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLonelyGhost/pseuds/TheLonelyGhost
Summary: Humanity faces extinction. It's only been a few months since the outbreak began but the virus has had a devastating impact on the world's population, not only killing those it infects, but reanimating their corpses, turning them into mindless monsters whose only purpose is to feed on human flesh.One of those Dead, however, is a little different from the rest...





	He Follows In His Wake

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the book Warm Bodies and its prequel, The New Hunger. I have borrowed a couple of elements from those books, but the story itself will be different.
> 
> Thanks to silver_drip for the title suggestion!

In the back room of a small, abandoned suburban supermarket, a dead man opens his eyes.

He’s sitting on the floor, propped up against the wall behind him with his head drooping down towards his left shoulder and his legs sprawled out in front of him. He doesn’t know who he is, or where he is, or how he got there. The dead man searches for memories – any memories – but if he ever had any, they seem to be lost to him now.

A sob draws his attention and he slowly lifts his head to find he is not alone. There is a man standing with his back pressed against the opposite wall, his cheeks shiny and wet with tears. He is tall and slim with long black hair and pale skin. His arm is raised and he’s pointing a gun at the dead man. The hand holding it is trembling.

“I’m so sorry, Tony,” the tall man sobs. _Tony_. Is that his name? The tall man had been looking at him when he’d said it and there doesn’t seem to be anyone else in the room, so it must be. He finds that he likes that he has a name. _Tony_. Yes, that sounds right. He wonders if the tall man has a name too?

Tony notices that whilst he had been absorbing this new information about himself, the tall man has moved. He’s now crouching down next to a backpack, still holding the gun pointed at him, and he’s slowly placing things inside of it. He only spares quick glances down to see what he’s doing, keeping his eyes on Tony as much as possible.

Once the bag is full, the tall man zips it closed and stands up again, slipping it over his shoulder and slowly moving towards the door. He twists the knob and opens the door just a fraction, tearing his gaze away from Tony just long enough to take a quick look around outside.

The tall man spares one more pain-filled glance back at Tony before opening the door and slipping through, leaving him all alone.

Tony stares through the gap of the still partially open door that the tall man had gone through for a long time, not knowing what to do. He is momentarily distracted by concern when his vision starts to blur, but he eventually realises that he has simply forgotten to blink. Closing and opening his eyes a few times restores his vision, but then the unpleasant feeling due to the absence of the tall man returns with it.

What distresses Tony the most is that the pleasant, familiar scent that had filled the room before – the scent he had initially assumed was just how the world was meant to smell – is rapidly fading, leaving him feeling cold and empty.

Perhaps the scent had belonged to the tall man? Maybe if he could find him again, it would make Tony feel better. And in return he could somehow find out why the tall man was so sad and try to help him. The more he thinks about it, the more worked up he becomes. His need to go after the tall man grows more urgent by the second.

Tony clumsily pulls himself up off the floor and to his feet. Walking seems to come naturally to him – he barely has to think about it at all – though he is somewhat slow and his feet tend to drag along the ground. But he’s moving, and that’s what’s important.

Tony shuffles over to the door, bumping it with his shoulder to open it further, before determinedly making his way out of the only room he thinks he’s ever known and into the world outside, letting the scent of the tall man guide his way.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments inspire me to write more! :)


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